Icebreakers Coming to Santana Row

A hot New Zealand company called Icebreaker that specializes in wool adventure apparel is coming to Santana Row. Why is this significant? There are currently only 5 of these stores in the US: New York (two there), San Francisco, and Portland (their HQ is there). Instead of Chicago or LA, they're choosing San Jose for their next store. This is a good sign that we're being starting to be seen as a key city for retail. Full press release below.

************************************************************

Icebreaker Breaks Ground on Second Store in Northern California

- New Zealand merino wool apparel company to open second California store in September 2012 -

Wellington, New Zealand (April 24, 2012) – Icebreaker, the New Zealand company that pioneered the merino wool adventure apparel category, today announced it will open a new TouchLab store in San Jose, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. 

Icebreaker’s new 1,500-square-foot TouchLab will open in September 2012, in Santana Row, a mixed-use development in the heart of San Jose and Silicon Valley’s premier destination for shopping, dining, living and nightlife. The store will be located at 356 Santana Row, across the street from Hotel Valencia Santana Row.

“We’re excited to be in the Silicon Valley, where people play as hard as they work and have an affinity toward what’s new and innovative,” says Jeremy Moon, founder and CEO of Icebreaker.

“Icebreaker is perfect for active Californians who value high performance apparel. It has something for everyone - from runners, cyclists and other fitness enthusiasts looking for a natural alternative to synthetics, to Santana Row shoppers with an eye for new and beautiful apparel,” Moon added. 

The San Jose TouchLab store will feature Icebreaker's complete line of pure merino wool apparel, including its Outdoor, Running, Travel, Kids, Underwear and City collections and Socks and Accessories, all made from handpicked merino wool born in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

The store will allow shoppers to touch Icebreaker merino, known for being so soft that people often don’t even realize it’s wool. The store's Tactile Gallery will have garments that explain the functional benefits of Icebreaker merino – it’s soft, non-itch, odour-resistant and highly breathable. Merino also regulates temperatures, which means it warms in the cold and cools in the heat.

“Merino is so beautiful that we want people to touch the fabric and start a conversation about it,” said Moon.

Icebreaker opened its first California TouchLab store in San Francisco in November 2011. The company has three other USTouchLabs: one in Portland, Oregon (home of its US headquarters), and two in New York City – Soho and the Meatpacking District. In Canada, there are TouchLabs in Vancouver, British Columbia, and in Montréal, Canada. 

The San Jose TouchLab will be open Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm, and Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm.

Note to Editors: PHOTOS OF SOHO (NEW YORK CITY) TOUCHLAB. Credit: Ty Cole.
Click on images to download hi-res images.